


sugar, we're going down swinging

by gyfrin



Series: in the city lovelight [1]
Category: zaqxsw
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-10
Updated: 2019-08-22
Packaged: 2020-08-14 17:09:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 14,076
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20195761
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gyfrin/pseuds/gyfrin





	1. Chapter 1

"Oh, yea I know him. Kind of. He was the TA for my English class in the first year. I had him for tutorials every Friday and he was really helpful," Lianna adjusts herself to sit cross-legged on the couch, laptop on but untouched on her thighs. It only exists out of habit, hazel eyes glancing at the television further away instead of the screen below. Harry Potter plays yet neither of the girls has their attention fully on it, more intuned to the conversation they are having.

It all commences as most things start. With an idea. A proposal. 

Leticya swings her backpack onto her back, ready to leave to head back to her flat for the day. Steps away from the exit, her professor calls to her to pull her aside. It leaves fingers jittery against her side at first while she waits for all other students to scatter. Until he begins conversing with her - mentioning how he's taken notes of their office hour session, noticing how her frequent visits seemed to culminate in a certain few things. Therefore he's come up with a long-term solution for one of his most eager students. He offers to refer her for a peer tutoring session at the Student Services building, where a former student of his now helps out between his graduate studies. 

A suggestion. But there was no reason for her to say no and so she nods to the arrangement, exiting the room with a mental note to check her email later.

"I mean even if I didn't know him. Your prof did personally suggest his peer tutoring session so... he has to be decent. Plus he's cute."

"True. At least he's cute," Leticya echoes in agreement. She plops herself down on the couch beside the other girl as she takes one final glance over his online profile on their university website. Fingers press the power button to turn the screen off, then places the phone on the coffee table to be left untouched. Her mind still meanders, thoughts still running around but she pushes them aside knowing nothing could be done until the first session came rolling by.

There is knocking on their door right at that second, on some cue as if the other person had been eavesdropping. Leticya is the one closer to the door, so she leaps from the couch making her way over curiously, wondering who would come without any announcement.

Unlocking the door and peering out brings her locking eyes with the younger boy who lived a few apartments down the hall. Mark, who they'd both had unexpectedly taken under their wing.

Unexpected because meeting Mark had never been a plan on their agenda. The first encounter with the boy had certainly been anything but conventional. But absolutely unforgettable. Simply because he had crashed into their lives. Rather literally. 

* * *

It was moving day. The two of them along with their close friend Carmen had spent the morning pulling boxes up into their new apartment. As they trickled into the afternoon, the only thing left had been the smaller bags. Which is a good thing because all three of them would have probably had a more dramatic response if he had tripped into them on the stairs while they were carrying boxes full of fragile things.

That’s a partial lie. The other two girls had laughed it off. Lianna hadn’t even had the heart to be mad at the apologetic boy who had not only caught her and her bag from meeting her demise at the bottom of the staircase but he had even ended up helping the girls unpack as an apology.

* * *

Now four months later the boy who they learnt isn’t able to work in the kitchen, not even for fried eggs, pops up every so often at their apartment to eat. In return, he fills their fridge with food and certainly, neither of them is going to complain about one less chore on their list.

Leticya heads back to the couch after a quick greeting. Mark’s right arm leans against the door to keep it propped open so he can shuffle in with his backpack. 

“Hey,” Lianna waves from the couch, a smile popping onto her face. She immediately shuffles herself over so that there’s more room on the couch for another body. At the same time, she turns off her laptop, using it as an opportunity to place it onto the coffee table.

“The people directly upstairs are being loud...so I was wondering if I could study here,” Mark asks sheepishly, scratching at the nape of his neck. It’s out of cordiality more than for actual permission, shoes already off his feet as he comes to take his spot on the couch.

“If you don’t mind the movie playing then go for it,” Leticya says.

Hazel hues glance up briefly at the screen then back down into his backpack on the ground. He reaches in to pull out his textbook and places it onto his lap, finger easily sliding to a bookmarked section. “Harry Potter? It’s fine. I’ll manage.”

“Okay,” just in case, Lianna’s fingers reach forward to reach for the controller, lowering the volume a few notches. Silence then easily falls into the living room, save for a few quips from either of the girls to each other while their arms tangle together on the couch. Mark when he finishes, eventually joins the two of them too, finishing right as Harry dives underwater for his second Triwizard task.

It’s interesting if either of the two girls could describe it as such. The two of them living together had been expected from early on, so many years back when their friendship first blossomed. There were even jokes about getting married together, though that had long passed. But now, neither of them could imagine a world without the boy from the apartment a few doors down.


	2. Chapter 2

> _I’ll see you at home later then._
> 
> _Tell me how it goes!_
> 
> _You got this I know you do!_

Leticya reads the words of encouragement from Lianna, responding with a simple Kakaotalk sticker before tucking her phone into her bag. She’s sitting on one of the cushioned chairs at the main office, the secretary now ignoring her after the initial sign-in and typing away aimlessly on the keyboard. An apprehensive stillness coats her, fingers drumming against her thighs and then against the chair, then back again on her legs.

A few minutes pass, then there’s the slow creaking noise of a door opening. She shifts her body towards the sound, seconds later a figure pops out from behind a wall. It’s a familiar face, at least, the face of the male she had seen on her phone screen a week ago. Except now that she glances at him in real life, she’s quick to discern that her tutor’s a lot more handsome in real life. Immediately, Leticya sits up a little bit straighter.

It's both a win and a loss. Certainly, she doesn't think anybody would argue about having some eye-candy to help get them through the day. Especially in university where the lack of sleep and exhaustion seems to bring anything as a form of relief for the day. But with this certainly also came the risk of a distraction. Well, she hopes she wouldn’t be too distracted at least - Lianna’s words come briefly floating back at this point, a reminder that if the other girl could get through so could she.

“Leticya?”

“Yes that’s me,” she stands up, quickly using her hands to smooth out any wrinkles on her clothes. After a double-check, she reaches forward to extend a handshake to the male.

“Nice to meet you,” his pupils easily vanish behind his smile as he takes her hand, his larger one easily engulfing hers in a gentle shake. “I’m Woohyun, your tutor.”

As per her roommate's words, Woohyun is extremely helpful. She can see why her professor had suggested him for her. His eyes only need to gloss over the paper once. The second round, a pen is out and already making small notes. But he's not all strict blunt words, noticing her softer demeanour so he easily adapts to her needs. Eyes gaze upon her the entire time, reading each of her features.

He’s efficient but at the same time, it’s not all about correcting her work. There’s small talk in between where he speaks about his life and she learns little things. Like how he currently rents a nice apartment on campus, how he’s three years older than her, how he’s a graduate student writing a thesis so he can get an MA in political science, he’s good at soccer and how he seems to have a habit of cracking corny jokes. It’s not all about him, he asks her questions too which she casually responds to.

“Should we meet again in a week?” For the first time in the entire session, he’s looking away from her, sliding his chair over the carpet to the computer to look at his schedule. Only briefly, then eyes are once again glancing over at her with a certain crinkle that she thinks she could pocket in her memory forever. “Same day? Same time?”

“That would work,” Leticya chirps, placing the paper into a pocket folder to be placed into her backpack.

The initial nervousness which had clung so tightly to her when she first entered the room had completely dissipated. Shoulders lax, there's a natural smile which blossoms on her lips as she glances over. It wasn’t as if the other was a friend, she was still aware of their positions. But still, he had loosened her guard, leaving her to linger in comforts and hold some excitement for next week. Even if this was technically for studying and shouldn't be all fun and games, she things she could enjoy herself.

“But if you need anything before then,” a sticky note is quickly placed onto her pocket folder with a neatly scribbled email and a smiley face at the end. “Feel free to contact me. I don’t bite.”

“I know. Thank you,” she responds with a tug of her lips upwards, mirth bleeding into her features.

“See you next week Leticya!” He gives her a friendly wave when she turns around to close the door, hand lingering on the doorknob.

“See you then.” The door finally closing, there's a light skip to her steps when she makes her way out of the building. There was certainly a lot of things she would have to tell her roommate once she gets home, her mind already trying to piece everything together into words.

* * *

“You were right, he's really good. He’s not just cute. He’s also really smart! And good at his job! Friendly and reliable.”

“You sound like you found your dream man today all in one hour,” Lianna teases, a small chuckle arises from her in amusement as she glances at her friend sitting across from her in the dining table.

“Please. I’m just appreciating my tutor for doing his job,” Leticya retorts, tapping her spoon against the plate beneath her. "It's a good thing I can tell from our first meeting. Imagine if he was a disaster. Late. Not sure what he was doing. Cold."

"No thank you," Lianna's face scrunches up at the mental image briefly, but after shoving some food into her mouth with her spoon, the mischievous smile from before returns. "Well good thing he isn't."

"Exactly. I'm glad my professor suggested him to me. He's so sweet and kind too. He's...kind of like the senpai in an otome game."

"An otome game huh?" A hum rises from Lianna, almost self-righteous. Before Leticya can open her mouth to retort once again, she cuts in to continue what she has to say, voice serious unlike the jollity from earlier. "Well, he sounds great. When are you meeting him again?"

"Next week. The same day of the week. The same time. Until then I have some changes to make in my paper."

"If you need another set of eyes to look over it, you know I'm here."

"I know," Leticya says with a grin, reaching forward to clean up the table as the two of them finish their meal. "But I need your help with Japanese and Chinese."

"You know I can do more than just that," Lianna stands up, her chair sliding back with a small groan on the ground, her hands reaching forward to help the other girl.

"Of course. You're my brain friend!"

"Also your support friend."

"Something tells me you're still implying something here."

A chuckle and an unreadable grin are all that Leticya receives from her friend before she slips into the kitchen.


	3. Chapter 3

"You sure you want to join me? Not that I'm asking you to go or anything, I like you. I mean I like having you around. I mean your presence is nice... Well, you get what I mean. What I'm saying is if you're tired you don't have to stay with me. Go home and take a nap and I'll drop by after," Mark stumbles his way through, a hand running through his ebony hair and fond laughter springs out from Lianna's mouth.

"Don't worry about it. I'm not too tired from work. Plus it's not every single day I bump into you outside the apartment so why not? And you're buying groceries for both of us. I should lend a hand once in a while. " She states in reassurance, bumping her shoulder against the other boy's to prove her point. 

In truth, Lianna had not been expecting to see the boy. The school and her workplace were in different areas of the city and therefore their walk home never seemed to crossover. Their buses cross even less, leaving the apartment the only place to meet - unless they decided on an outing together. 

But it was certainly nice, Mark's errand running and timing leading to the coincidence of him being a few steps away from her stop when she gets off the bus. She had playfully snuck up onto him, a hand tapping his shoulder just to see him jump. Laughter erupts, from her then from him and then a half-hearted apology. 

Now, she's tagging along with him into the grocery store. Lianna's aiming to help, which she does offer some of her own knowledge of what the apartment needs. But if there's one thing she always knew about herself it was that in a building piled with food she could quickly become distracted, eyes glancing around, feet dashing here and there. Also that she's indecisive but Mark's even more indecisive. Ironically, it's because of him that she's having an easier time choosing. 

"Look all I'm saying is ice cream season is coming up soon and we should pile up. We barely have anything in our freezer and you know how the temperature can just spike out of nowhere," she says, looking into the grocery store freezer. A hand reaches out from her side, curling around the back of the boy's sweater. Momentum doesn't stop easily, he still moves forward with the cart a few more steps and she hops on one foot until she bumps into his back. Slowly, he bumps them back to stare in himself to decide on something.

"Chocolate?"

"Mmm, I'm feeling mango. We could compromise? Mango this week and chocolate next week," she suggests. The look which Mark gives her with his big eyes almost makes her swap the words around. Almost, but she's not as nice when it comes to her food. 

"Didn't we get caramel for you last time?"

"I texted you but that was Leticya craving it." She quickly corrects. When he doesn't say anything more, a sign of acceptance, hands pull open the freezer done and plops a tub of mango ice cream into their shopping cart. "So do we have everything now?"

"I think so," she watches him lean against the cart, reaching for his phone, and scrolling through a list he must have made just for today. It's cute, she thinks, how much effort he places into this, even more than when she lived by herself and just made a note of which of the four food groups she needed. "Yea we're good."

"Great! Let's get going then," she chirps, one hand briefly brushing over Mark's when she reaches for the cart handle. His hands twitch and she jerks away as if stabbed, offering a quick apology. She decides not to hold onto the cart at all, simply heading over to the cashier to find the one with the smallest lineup for them, ignoring the awkward contact as if it hadn't happened.

"Thank you for coming with me today," the words are unexpected when they pop up. Lianna pauses placing the groceries onto the conveyor belt to look over at him, eyes widening in surprise.

"What? No. Thank you for doing this for us weekly. I feel like I don't say this enough. You do a better job than when I shopped for myself during my student years. "

"You cook for me every single day."

"It's only one more mouth to feed it's not much," she shrugs. But she can see his earnest smile when she glances over at him. A reminder to her of how honest of a person he is with how his features easily presenting his emotions. Eyes cast away, unable to take the intensity and she offers a small chuckle to dissipate her own embarrassment while she returns to her task.

"But it's still nice though. I appreciate you guys a lot. I know I moved out to live independently but this makes me re-"

"If you're about to start a speech I'll need to stop you right there," Lianna cuts in, her free hand reaching forth to offer his arm a squeeze. "Save it for home so Leticya can hear it too. She's the sappier one." 

Mark pauses, head tilting to the side in thought. Then a goofy smile easily cracks itself onto his features. The cashier is glancing at them, reciting the price and he opens his wallet to quickly pull out his credit card.

"That's true. Should I do it over dinner?"

"Maybe dinner. But dessert is better. Over the last of our caramel ice cream, what do you say? " she says with her own smile. 

"Sounds good to me."


	4. Chapter 4

"How was your weekend?" Woohyun asks, legs swivelling around in his chair to face him forward. Leticya doesn't answer right away, folding her jacket to place it on the arm of her chair. Her mind does a quick rewind of the weekend, now a blur the moment she had tumbled herself into the chaos of school. The session today was almost a breath of fresh air, away from her laptop and textbooks.

"Lianna and I spent the whole day outside on Saturday with our other friend Carmen. The weather was nice so we went to Stanley Park and had a small picnic. Took a few pictures, sat on the benches and read for a little bit. Then we went to get KBBQ for dinner downtown. Sunday was homework day though. Well, Lianna and Mark did the chores I just locked myself in my room to finish everything on time. Somewhere... they must have left the apartment for a while because when they called me to the dining room for dinner it was takeout and I don't remember anybody ringing our doorbell."

"Mark...if I remember right that's your neighbour." Woohyun slowly slides himself forward to the table where she's sitting. 

"Yea! Though he's been spending more time over lately. I'm starting to think that we should give him his own corner in the apartment like how we give Carmen one. But then we'd run out of space...or... we're already running out of space." She chuckles at the image anyways, the thought of the one corner with the beanbag for one friend and one of a different colour a few distances away all in the living room.

"Does he have a roommate?" The corner of Woohyun's lips slightly fold down and brows furrow. When lessons first began, Leticya had assumed it was when he was disappointed. But soon she learnt that's the expression he puts on when he's feeling pensive. A face that appears when he's problem-solving something for her.

"He doesn't have one."

"Then, if he's going to spend a lot of time here you could see if you could move some things over to his place instead?" The male suggests while folding his arms across his chest.

"Like use it as a place for storage?" She asks in clarification, piecing together the implication he has offered her. It's a tempting solution. Even more tempting when she knows that all his previous recommendations have never once gone wrong on her.

"Well with his permission I don't see why not? But make sure to ask for his permission. Not that I don't think you would but still. Emphasis on permission."

"He has the house keys so I'll have to ask anyways. No stealing anything over here," she responds, an amused smile dancing on her face. With how the younger boy had a habit of plopping his backpack by the edge of her couch, if she worked with her roommate she could probably steal it if she tried. But the idea didn't sound so pleasant knowing how pliable the other was for the two of them anyways.

"Yes, no bad ideas allowed here. I haven't told you this since it's a secret but only angels can visit this room," he taps his hands against the table, eyes crinkling into half-crescents.

It's simple, easy words and informal gestures. Even though it shouldn't mean anything besides friendly words from a playful tutor, she holds her breath for a second too long. Breaking eye contact with him, she pretends to be distracted by something on the ground.

If Woohyun notices, he doesn't say anything. "Now did you have time to complete the small worksheet I gave you this week? I know it's midterm season so it's fine if you couldn't."

"No, I managed to finish it," fingers shuffle a bit in her folder until she finally manages to pull out the set in question. He's right, it's midterms season and she has one upcoming in a few days that she's not completely confident about. But there's just something about wanting to not see the disappoint on his face that has her trying her best. Additionally, her marks have been improving overall due to him. A good sign. She wouldn't allow that to be all tossed out the window - though she's aware of her own priorities at the end of the day.

"Good job!" The praise is echoed by his features from across the table and she grins in jubilation.

The smile, it turns out, is something that sticks with her throughout the session. Today goes by smoothly and it leaves her slightly sad that they ended earlier than usual, but she's also content with the fact she's not making the same mistake anymore like she did the first few sessions.

Maybe she's assuming a bit, but she likes to think that Woohyun is also proud of her for the improvement. It seems so with how much the corner of his lips curl up evermore and there's a twinkle in ochre hues each time she answers something correctly that she once didn't. 

"Same time next week too?" He asks as he returns to his desk to pull up his schedule onto his screen.

"Actually I can't. I have something."

"What about the day after? We can meet when your class ends."

"Ahh... I can't either."

"Then tell me your schedule I'll see if I can work around it."

"Friday...at 4pm?" Leticya speaks hesitantly, attempting to eye his expression from the angle she's at. Unfortunately, she can only see half his face, making him unreadable. She falls back against her chair, deciding to simply wait it out.

"I'll tell you what," he rolls his chair forward towards her again, resting his elbows on the table. Reaching for his pen he scribbles on the corner of her draft paper she has yet to put away. "The office will be closed but we can meet elsewhere if you want. Here's my mobile number so just text me a spot."

"Oh," she pulls the corner of the paper closer to glance at the neatly scribbled numbers. Eyes rake over it, outlining the ink carefully both in awe but also with a small sense of nervousness.

"Is something wrong? I'm not forcing you or anything it's okay if we skip this week." It's his turn to be hesitant now, expressions folding into something unsure.

Leticya is quick to combat it with a smile, shaking her head. She places the piece of paper where it belongs and tucks everything into her bag. "We're fine. So I'll text you later?"

"Yes, whenever you want." She knows he's talking about the meeting but still her heart skips a beat at those words matched with the signature gentle smile. 

"Okay! Have a nice rest of the day." 

"You too Leticya. You deserve it." These sound like recited words as he closes the door behind her but when she glances at his smile, her heart flutters once again.

Maybe Lianna was onto something after all. 


	5. Chapter 5

The sky had promised an ocean of cerulean for the day. The morning had been deceptive, the glimmer of gold when the two of them had left the house. The aureate rays however soon disappeared. Blue was replaced by grey and an unwelcome breeze trickled in. Plans to stay outside quickly rewired themselves and the two girls meandered their way into the mall.

They were not the only ones who had decided to reroute while the sound of faint thunder rumbled away in the background. The mall was always a place for clusters of people who both needed something and didn’t but there’s even more of a crowd today jostling their way around the area. Crowds are neither of their things but they manage to maneuver their way around, glancing into stores which seem reasonably empty to look around.

“Their Micky Mouse collaboration is on sale,” Lianna says, poking her head out from the aisle next to the one where Leticya had been shuffling through the blouses. Catching the questioning glance from her friend, Lianna enters the aisle to wrap her fingers around the other’s wrist. She gently tugs her friend over to another area where a lot of clothes laid in messy heaps. The downside of a constant crowd, she supposes, but it wasn't bad enough that they wouldn't be able to find anything worthwhile.

There were many things in the world which Leticya loves and Disney is one. Lianna knew that from early on, been there through all the movies churned out, through the other girl’s adventure in Disney World a while back. She knew that until now and she’ll certainly know it into the future too. So to see a frown dappling the other’s lips brings a downturn to her own lips.

“What’s wrong?” She carefully inquires, veiling the confusion from showing on her features with a small placid smile.

“It’s nothing big it’s just… none of the stuff left that I like are in my size.”

“Oh,” in her excitement at seeing the sale, she had not thought about that possibility. Not until now when it’s been laid out in front of her. It’s a bit foolish that she’s missed what would be deemed common sense. But she brushes it aside with a disappointed groan. “We could try the boy’s side? The designs a bit different but there’s more of a chance we’ll find something which fits.”

* * *

It turns out that the store had come to some arbitrary conclusion not to have their men section set up the same way as the women one. A bit of waddling around occurs, two girls, poking around different areas. But finally, they come eye-to-eye with the objects of their fancy. Lianna is right, once again her mind absentmindedly might add, the designs are different but there are a lot more options left behind.

Fingers are rummaging through the different shirts, eyes glazing over them. She's focused but also fluctuating in her attention, musings passing through her mind. Leticya’s not on a mission to find something, only suggestions. Her hand reaches forth and she pulls from the pile a button-up shirt. It’s a long sleeve, jeans blue with white vertical stripes – not Mickey Mouse themed, someone must have placed it in by mistake. It’s not something she’d jump to wear, but when she looks at it she immediately thinks of how a certain tutor of hers would look good in it.

It's a thought that shouldn't be happening in the first place. He isn't supposed to trickle into her mind. This is bad.

Now she knows like any other hopeless romantic of a girl, she’s susceptible to gentleman charms. Woohyun is certainly a genius when it came to honey-coated words and exuding the softness that comes with a dependable person. He’s even gone out of his way to give her his personal number so they could set up a proper tutoring hour now that her schedule has become chaotic. But he’s her tutor and though she knows her heart has been acting the past few whiles in the tides of her emotions, a foolish part of her still hopes that it might mean other things. But she often pushes the thoughts down, not wanting to disrupt what she has right now, the hour she enjoyed each week. The hour which she’d always talk about in meticulous detail to Lianna.

“Do you like that shirt?”

“Huh?” She’s pulled out of her thoughts and back into the present, realizing only now that she’s been staring at the button-up for far too long to have it be considered a simple venture. Lianna is glancing at her at the shirt, something prurient marring her otherwise lackadaisical glance.

“Oh it was just, you were looking at it for a while. I’ve never seen you wear something like that before though.”

“I wouldn’t,” she realizes her curt response isn't sufficient, her actions a complete contradiction. Before Lianna could point that out, she quickly cuts in again her thoughts dashing around to blurt the first thing which crosses her mind. “I was thinking this would look nice on Mark.”

“Really?” She can’t tell if the other girl’s response is one of suspicion or one of contemplation. So she’s holding her breath, watching how the other’s pupils flicker between the shirt, then to her, and then back. There’s a shake of the other's head. “Knowing him he’d probably store this for special occasions only. And then we’ll never see it. If we were to get him something…”

* * *

Lianna doesn’t notice the exhale Leticya gives once she realizes that the other girl did not catch onto the real reason why she had been holding the shirt for too long. She’s now looking through the shirts herself, having spent the earlier minutes simply dawdling around and glancing at some clothes she knows she’d like to wear but would never buy at the set price.

She doesn’t tell the other girl but she’s glad that the other has brought up the boy. It had felt embarrassing for herself, seconds earlier when she had crossed by a grey knit sweater and thought to herself how it was something that the younger boy would wear. How it would fit him, but while she was close with him she didn’t think she had the right to be shopping for him. Or should even think of it.

But the other had provided an opportunity for her to intervene, feeling the comfort that her thoughts were not all that displaced. The vigour of Lianna's relief floods itself into her searching. She pulls out a navy blue polo shirt that has white linings with a chest pocket that has the familiar black Mickey Mouse outline stitched onto it with golden threads. “What about this one?”

“That,” Leticya begins to say something. But whatever it seems to be cut off by a glance over at a shirt that’s been tucked around Lianna’s arms. An impish smile dashes itself onto the other girl’s lips. “Well, that looks like it’d match the shirt you have there.”

Her eyes have never shot down near the ground so fast. She flushes, light pink tinging the apple of her cheeks when she realizes what she’s done. “That’s a coincidence! It just means my choices are consistent.”

“Mhmm,” Leticya hums in response and she only responds by looking further at the ground, both mortified but also finding no other clap-back for her to say. “Well, coincidence or not. It’s a nice shirt. We should get it for him.”

“We should?” Brandy hues glance up from where they’ve been hiding seconds earlier, hopeful all of a sudden but also clearly puzzled by the other’s willingness.

“Yes, it looks nice. If he won’t wear it I will,” her friend responds with a sincere nod and Lianna thinks maybe this isn’t a bad idea at all.

“Okay let’s do it.” She tucks the shirt she’s been holding outwards for display around the same arm as the one with the shirt she had intended to buy.

“And if you coincidentally end up matching I’ll have something to tease about to.”

“Shush you!”


	6. Chapter 6

“Are you free this Friday?”

Lianna turns around on the couch where she’s sprawled out to stake her claim. Eyes catch the scintillating sparkles resting in the eyes of a marvelling boy sitting on the ground to study, using the couch as his backrest. His big eyes with their ochre ocean are so beautiful she understands why stars fall into them. She’s said this to him before once while tongue was loose and movements bolder, using the dinner they had gone to and the slight alcohol she drank, as an excuse for her adrenaline rush. Even if she had been sober – but that’s a secret to take to the grave and a story for another time.

“I should be. Why?”

A thing Lianna’s learnt about the younger boy is that he’s the living, breathing definition of awkward. Part of her assigns it to the fact that he's an introvert. She’s one herself. She knows how challenging it could be at times to stumble through small talk because she finds it so hard to disclose more things about her instead of just nodding along and listening. But that’s not the only thing. Mark's also just naturally not a person that's good with words. At all. It’s endearing – especially paired with his constant expression that echoes that of a bewildered child. But it also makes him hesitant about making requests.

Such as inviting the roommates’ out. It’s mostly the other way around. He seems to be completely fine with last-minute plans and being dragged out at a short moments notice. But for Mark to ask first himself, meant that there was something serious or meaningful veiled behind it all. Lianna would be a villain to give him anything but her undivided attention.

“I want to go to the night market. If that’s okay,” as he speaks his voice lowers by the decibels until he’s nearly mumbling. Eyes are no longer keeping in contact with hers but glancing at some random area of the sofa. “I need to buy something from one of the stalls and I didn’t want to go alone.”

“Sure! Just remind me to bring cash!” Years of staying in the city have her learning quickly that the market is a tourist attraction that has lost its novelty. Particularly when she knows she can buy the food elsewhere without the hassle of a lineup. Without the occasional chaos of mother nature. But when he asks so carefully like this, she finds some rejuvenation in the wilting fire. Maybe it's more about who she's going with more than the actual event itself. “Should we ask Leticya too? I think she’s free that day. I can double-check with her though.”

“No. It’s,” the way his eyes suddenly meets hers again, words staccato in their dance, leaving her mind disordered. She doesn’t say anything, waiting for him to finish buffering what he has to say. Mark was never good at concealing his thoughts, even now she can see the flash of alarm, sirens going off in his head. About something. “If it’s okay with you. Let’s just go us two."

A question lingers on Lianna's tongue at that moment, wondering if he had intended to ask her out. That it was his indirect way of implying this would be a date. But she doesn't take action. She swallows her words, too nervous to actually ask. She takes to nodding instead, scared of her thoughts running away from her if she opened her mouth.

“It’s just. It’s kind of an embarrassing thing I want to buy? And so I didn’t want too many people to know. And yea,” he explains himself, sputtering while doing so, a sheepish smile painting itself onto his face.

A whirlwind of emotions run through Lianna's body in that second. Relieved, on one end but also disappointed. Knowing she feels disappointed though brings about further emotions and thoughts she doesn’t want to think about. She brushes it all away, giving him the usual pleasant smile she reserves for all those she’s fond of. Her hands leave her side, a finger trickling forward to poke the other’s cheek. “That’s fine. I get it. Don’t worry about it. It’ll be our secret okay?”

* * *

The two of them head towards the market a short while before it opens, hoping to dodge the crowd that seems to come rushing in at the later evening. The one thing that Lianna always notices is the strung up lights and how almost gaudily yellow everything seems to be. There was an emphasis on a big inflatable yellow duck a few years back and while the theme had moved on, it seems the tawdry colour still plastered itself onto everything it could get a grip on.

“At least the wait won’t be long,” she says with a small hum, adjusting the jeans jacket tied around her waist. It’s hot right now, stale air wafting over the parking lot, but the sun is a complex thing, the moment it hides behind the horizon the temperature drops a few degrees within minutes. She doesn’t know how long they’ll be staying, but being prepared sounded like a better idea than wandering around blindly.

“Yea,” Mark kicks a stray pebble as the crowd begins to move forward, slowly jostling to the entrance gates. With the way his eyes seem to skitter from one side to another, she feels like she could almost mistake his energy for jumpiness more than enthusiasm. But that wouldn’t make sense when they came here to unwind and so she brushes it aside, attributing it to a blunder in her postulation.

“So should we get whatever you wanted first?” Lianna inquires, fingers tucking her wallet into her bag. Glancing over at him, she realizes he’s not paying attention to her, eyes gazing into the distance towards a direction she can follow. She can’t parse the reason for his action though and so she tries to call his name again. “Mark?”

“Oh!” He literally leaps, jolting as if she’s jabbed him on the side. “Sorry. Got distracted a bit there. Okay. Uh, how about we get some food first? Feeling a bit hungry.”

“I don’t see why not,” shrugging, a grin dances on her face. Arms flapping slightly against her sides, she makes a motion towards a general direction. “Let’s start over here. Look around and then decide?”

The majority of the visitors who come to the night market spend most of their time lingering around the back area where the food stalls are. It only takes a few minutes for the area to start crowding, even though the market had just opened. Jostled around and slightly scared she might lose Mark in the crowd, Lianna brings her left hand over to grab onto the other’s sleeve. He notices. He glances down and then reaches his own hand forward to wrap around her small wrist. She did not expect that, but Lianna lets it be, staring at the pavement beneath so not to let the shy smile turn the gentle interaction into something awkward. 

Mark predictably goes to grab the watermelon dessert from Milkcow. Seeing the two slices of watermelon sandwiching the pink watermelon soft serve has a mirthful chuckle gracing Lianna's lips and embarrassment marking the boy’s expression. Her eyes form crescents, she spends the next while trying to assure him she’s not teasing him, it’s just because it was the pinnacle of who he was when it came to food. He didn’t seem to believe her, not completely at least from how he keeps eyeing her from the side while he ate, but the happiness in his own expression soon takes over. Her own heart warms up over it, her legs swaying away while she sits.

“Okay now that I’m done with that,” Mark stands up with a stretch, leaving the concrete block which they had turned into makeshift chairs. “Let’s go get what I want.”

It turns out the apparently embarrassing thing Mark had been mentioning was a shoot into the hoop arcade game for a certain prize - one he tells her he's not revealing until he actually receives it. She glances at the stuffed animals hanging around as prizes for the tent, eyes narrowing in on a happy-looking lion while the boy stood in line waiting for his turn. “Did you want something from here?”

“Kind of,” he remarks, eyes following her gaze then snapping back to the hoop before him. “We’ll see. Or. I’ll see. You aren’t allowed to look while I’m playing. I’ll tell you when I’m done.”

“Wait why not?” A frown quickly settles onto her features, disappointment evident in her voice. Part of her own enjoyment had been to quench the curiosity of how well he did in sports. Mark had stated before that he danced and occasionally went to the gym too but never mentioned any actual sport.

“I’ll get nervous cause you’re watching. And then I’ll mess up.”

As someone who gets anxious once the spotlight is placed on her, she understands immediately. It’s a harmless game, one that would slip through their memories in a few weeks but he’s looking at her with such an earnest expression she can’t even quip back. She can’t even talk. She can only nod and turn around so that her back is facing him.

When her eyes aren’t focused on something or someone, Lianna’s ears tune in instead. Mark has a habit of talking to himself, even now he does and though he doesn’t want her to glance at him, the small words of encouragement and his constant tosses of ‘okay’ are hints to her. But then silence falls.

A voice in her head tells her to turn around – the change in the atmosphere must mean that he’s finished. But he said he’d tell her when he was done and she doesn’t want to ruin things for him by turning ahead of time. Both out of guilt and the sadness of seeing his defeated expression. So the latter voice of reason wins. She stays quiet. She stays still. She waits.

“You can turn around now,” something soft bumps against her shoulder and then her neck. A familiar feeling from the early moments of childhood until now. She turns and lips brush against faux fur. Fingers which had been crossed over her chest crawl up to hold onto the object.

It's a lion. Specifically, the lion stuffie she was staring at earlier when the two of them had been in line. Lianna had seen him share the gaze with her, but she hadn't thought much about it.

Until now.

"You...what about the one you wanted though?" Carefully her fingers rotate the plushie, acting as if it was a fragile glass orb in her hand that would come to fall apart in a matter of seconds. It almost feels unreal, no matter how much she stares at the beady black eyes. A present from him and one she can tell with a glance that she wouldn't be able to return. Too late now.

"Actually...I just wanted to get something. For you. So I kind of. Made an excuse," Mark chuckles the moment he's finished, high-pitch giggles that speak of how suddenly nervous he feels. He spins away from her when silence falls. "Okay! Anywa-"

"What would you have done if I didn't look interested in anything?" Lianna cuts in, cuddling the lion plushie while she turns to stare at the male. He glances back at her. "If none of the plushies seemed like my kind of thing."

"I... would have guessed. And hoped?" 

"You think you would have gotten it right?" She asks, her tone teasing even though her face remains serious. Mark appears to have been deceived at first, expression sagged but then a smile cracks onto his own face.

"Maybe not but I say it's the thought that counts," he reaches forward to pat the lion stuffie's head. "And I think you'd agree?"

"Yea," in a brave second, she places her right hand on his. It's nothing romantic like the books, she misses and it's only half on - her palm on his fingers. It lingering for a second before she feels shy again and lets it rest back under the stuffie.

"I would agree."


	7. Chapter 7

There are planned meetings. There are planned outings. But, there are also unexpected ones which come around from impromptu excursions.

Leticya has a strawberry frappucino tossed to the side of her table, half-drunken and now forgotten. The whipped cream sloshed to one side melting into an ocean of pink. Music is playing in her earbuds, quiet enough so she'd notice if she's intruded upon but loud enough to leave her feeling cozy in a nest of sounds. Information scrawled away on the linings of her notebooks along with a few occasional absentminded scribbles, eyes are glued to the table.

There’s a small tapping noise that she almost misses at first between the voices singing away in her ears. She notices fingers at the corner of her vision and when her head tilts slightly upwards these fingers turn into a hand which waves at her. Another tilt of her head and she’s glancing at the smiling face of a rather familiar figure.

“Woohyun!” She takes off her earbuds and tosses them onto the table. For a moment befuddlement tinges her features. Mind so used to seeing him only due to her tutoring session, it tricks her into wondering if she’s teleported herself into the open space of one of many study halls, swinging herself into the future. She glances around at the walls, a light brown shade decorated with shelves of potted plants, that’s nothing like the sterile white that specifies time with the older male. This is just an unexpected coincidence. “Fancy seeing you here?”

“I came to get some coffee,” he motions with a nod of his head towards the mug in his hand. “Something to keep me awake while I go on my dog walk.”

At the mention of dog, eyes which had been spending their time gazing at the male’s countenance snap-down closer to the ground. Hazel hues meet a soft blue of a dog with a semblance to a German Shepherd. As if on some greeting cue, the dog offers a small bark, tail wagging and tongue lolling out.

“Can I pet?” Leticya breaks eye contact to glance up. A nod is given and she immediately gets off her chair to crouch down to the dog’s eye-level, hands extending to be sniffed. Once the puppy itself gives her permission, she’s running both her hands over the soft fur, the corners of her lips tugging up joyously.

“You remind me of Wendy.”

She had been speaking to herself and the dog, voice inattentively floating by but Woohyun must have heard her for he responds with inquisitiveness. “Wendy?”

“She’s my German Shepherd back in Brazil,” Leticya explains while she scratches at the now rolled over canine’s belly. “I miss her but there was no way she would have been able to handle the flight up to Canada. So she lives with my mom. ”

“I see,” there’s a short pause. “Seollal isn’t my dog. But you’re free to visit him when I have him. He seems really fond of you already. It took me a whole week to get him over onto his belly.”

“Seollal is a flirt that’s why,” Leticya responds jokingly. She looks up again. “I’d love to visit him. So you’re dog sitting right now then? Or is the actual owner nearby.”

The thought of possibly meeting someone in Woohyun’s circle both excites her and makes her nervous. He’s mentioned his friends, a few names passing by just as how she speaks of those close to her. It could be one of those, or it could be his partner. He’s never mentioned if he was single or not but for someone as kind and as attractive as him, she can’t imagine him being single. Even if a bit of her heart would prefer if he was.

“Dog sitting for a friend.” He chuckles. “My friend travels often to conferences so I’m the first person he goes to. Since I’m busy with academics and I live on campus, I’m home for a good chunk of my time.”

“That’s admirable of you,” when she thinks about it a bit longer it’s not that much of a big deal. But for a girl who’s painted him as quite the prince charming, this only seems to amplify everything good about him.

“It’s nothing much. I love animals this works out.” She might be assuming but he looks almost shy from her compliment and it makes her want to stand up so she can squish his cheeks. Leticya holds back though, channelling her sudden urge to coo into her vigorous rubbing of Seollal’s fur.

“Say. I know you looked kind of busy but if you want to take a breather, I think Seollal would love to have you join us for our work,” once again as if on some cue, the canine whines and nudges his snout against her hand.

“I was almost done anyway. I’d love to join you! Just give me a second to clean up!” Maybe she came across too eager. She doesn’t know. But Woohyun didn’t say anything about her quickly she leaps up. How she almost goes into a frenzy with her prompt cleaning of the table. It’s spotless in a minute, everything tucked into her bag, when earlier on there had been an assortment of colourful pens scattered around her notebook along with multiple sticky note pads. “Ready! Let’s go?”

Woohyun offers her the leash, warning her that Seollal has a habit of aggressively tugging when he spots a motorcycle. The vendetta against them could not be explained but it was there – on the brighter end of things they rarely graced the school campus. But otherwise, he was a well-trained dog who kept to whoever was holding his leash’s side, following a controlled pace.

“He’s so good,” she coos in between their conversation, looking away from the canine to the male. “Doesn’t he make you want to own a dog yourself?”

“He does. I’ve been thinking about it actually, for when I move out of the dorms. It’s a bit cramped here so I don’t mind temporarily dog sitting but I’d feel bad if I had a dog permanently.” 

“That makes sense. I’ve never lived on campus but I’ve heard things. What kind of dog would you want to get?”

“I was thinking of … a toy poodle. A light brown toy poodle. I even have an image in mind already. I just need to invest when the time comes.”

“That’d be really cute! I think that would suit you.”

“You think so?” Woohyun chuckles, eyes forming crescents as he runs his hand over his hair. “Well if you think so. Then I’ll obviously have to do it now for you.”

The butterflies in her stomach flutter aggressively at his words. She’s not special, she has to remind herself. He’s the kind of person who says these things without a second thought. But still, Leticya can’t help but smile. “For me?”

“Yes. Since you always seem to choose the best for the people around you.” There’s utmost sincerity oozing from his words. “And I feel like I’m always giving you suggestions. I know it’s kind of my role and all. But I like hearing things from you too.”

“So…you’re telling me I should give you more advice from now on?”

“Yea. Something like that,” for some reason he stops walking. She does too out of reflex. A whine is drawn out from Seollal but she doesn’t notice the dog right now. Not when Woohyun is staring at her with an unreadable expression, face precariously dancing between whimsical and serious all at once.

“Or just that I think of you as my friend now Leticya. I know I’ve been your tutor for a while now but we’ve been talking a lot about so many other things. I just want to talk to you normally without the whole formalities. You don’t have to agree with me. If I make you uncomfortable because of this we can find you a new tutor too. But what I’m saying is I like hanging out with you like this without the whole academic air.”

A few seconds of confusion. A few seconds of shock. Expression and body stifle trying to process all the words. Then relief washes over her, a giant smile blossoming on her face. “Of course I don’t mind. I like talking to you too. I’m enjoying myself right now.”

“Oh good,” Woohyun sighs and she hopes to attune it to something like a reprieve. He begins walking again and she follows his pace. “I still felt like I was forcing you into this dog walk because I’m your senior and all. But I’m glad to hear it’s otherwise.”

“You don’t need to worry. If I was actually uncomfortable I would’ve run away. You’re not that scary you know,” she quips in her own way to assure him. The smile she receives easily burns itself into her memories and she can’t help but think this coincidental meeting was all worth it.

The rest of the walk continues smoothly. Eventually, they reach the community centre that is close to Woohyun’s residence. As thank you for her time, he sneakily buys her ice cream, knowing she would refuse otherwise. She takes it but she pouts anyways for a good few seconds, causing him to laugh.

“Thanks for coming with us. Seollal loved it, didn’t you boy?” They both glance down at the dog that’s laying on the concrete, blue eyes staring up at both of them. Woohyun reaches down to pat the dog on his head and he licks his hand in response. “If you want. If you’re around to study after class, I have Seollal for another few days so feel free to text me to see him.”

“You sure?” She inquires, eyes wide.

“Of course!” He responds. “I’d love to see you again.”

Leticya’s heart lurches again and she does her best to ignore it. “Okay. I’ll definitely text you then.”

“Good,” his eyes crinkle once again, mirth bleeding into his features. 

“I’ll be waiting.”   
  



	8. Chapter 8

“Lianna! I have something very important I need to tell you!”

The apartment door provides no resistant as she swings it forward with much vigour. One set of hands letting go of the once tightly gripped doorknob and another set of hands splayed open in the same position as they were earlier during the rough push. In her mind, she had been expecting to see her friend on her laptop either at the table or lounging on the couch. In her head, Lianna would glance up with wide surprised eyes but not say anything until she could continue her speech.

Reality does not play out the same. There are two people on the sofa – Mark possibly being there so early in the day had been a possibility that may have slipped her panicked mind. But their poses were odd, not natural. It looked as if Mark had flung himself to the left side of the couch for some reason. His body flops crooked. Left hand leaning onto the hand rest at an odd angle, elbows digging in while a hand holds up his chin. His right hand is draped over his thighs. Tapping.

Lianna looks extremely stiff. Her shoulders are bunched together, seconds from curling into herself and her hands are placed neatly on her lap. Her feet are together, heel to heel and knee to knee. If this wasn’t Leticya’s apartment she would have assumed it was an office instead where the girl was seconds away from being scolded by a superior.

“Sorry… was I…interrupting something?” Leticya hesitantly asks the door closing behind her with a less-than-elegant thud.

“No! We were just getting worked up over Cutthroat Kitchen,” Lianna says immediately, motioning over towards the television. Leticya turns her head and finally notices the movement of pixels along with the dramatic voice of Alton Brown speaking – things her mind had ignored seconds earlier in favour of another scene. 

“Oh that makes sense,” her tone makes it clear she’s not entirely convinced.

* * *

Leticya rightfully shouldn’t believe her. Lianna knows this. It's undeniable that she's concealing something. A glance at Mark, who is now glueing his eyes to the screen to pull off the excuse she muttered, is supposed to calm her, but it only reminds her of what had been happening minutes earlier.

Beyond Mark arriving a bit earlier than usual, nothing started out of the ordinary. She had been casting a Korean drama onto the television. Alone, she decides to take reign of the catch, legs sprawled on while she sits upright. Lianna’s interested in what’s going on but attention has been zoning in and out, fluctuating for a while now and the appearance of his company is welcome to her.

“How was class today?” She asks more out of habit than actual interest. Mark always gives the same sort of response, but it never stops the words from slipping it out of her mouth first thing. Lianna doesn’t take her feet off the couch, but she slides them up, knee bending so that there’s a spot for another person to settle in.

“It was alright. Nothing interesting,” he responds. leaving his backpack to the side as he plops himself down onto the couch beside her feet. The sofa briefly dips from the weight when he settles in. Mark must be tired – he’s always been am ambitious kid ready to pounce on anything. This included his studies and his homework, so for him to visit without that being his first thought must mean fatigue.

“You can change the channel if you want. Or let me know if you want me to cast something,” Lianna feigns dumb but she decides not to dwell on the topic of school any longer. Instead, she grabs the remote from the coffee table and leans over to hand it to him. It’s her attempt at having him relax, giving him the option to choose.

Choose he had. Moments later scrumptious looking meals fill the screen, a reminder to Lianna that her stomach had been prodding at her for snacks earlier. A call for food she had ignored because dinner would be in an hour or so. She partially regrets it now so she briefly excuses herself to grab some crackers. Then settles back into her position again, toes lightly pressing against his thigh. She offers some to Mark, hand motioning over but he shakes his head and she goes on to casually munch away.

"You have...small hand and feet," Mark breaks the silence which had fallen between them except for her small nibbles. Lianna pauses in the middle of chewing, tilting her head in confusion at how random the statement happens to be. Mark must realize seconds later, turning scarlet. "Okay! Nevermind."

"No. No. You're fine I was just surprised cause it came out of the blue," Lianna says after she swallows whatever is in her mouth. Eyes glance down at her hands, still holding onto a few crackers and then at her feet. She wiggles her toes. "Yea I have trouble finding my shoe size cause of it. And my hands? I've never met anyone who has smaller hands than me. One of my friends even told me actually once that she thought she'd never find anyone with smaller hands than her. Then she met me. Can you believe I once played the piano?"

Mark doesn't respond immediately. He's gazing at her left hand that isn't holding anything, eyebrows furrowed. She allows the silence to fall between them, the noise from the television slowly fading into pointless white noise. Even her chewing seems to slow down, the last of the crackers vanishing from her right hand. Maybe he was waiting for that moment, for seconds later he swallows and says timidly. "Your fingers. Can I see?"

Mark, she decides at that moment, will always be full of surprises. It sounds like something incredibly obvious when she thinks of the past few months. But even now, Lianna feels as if she will always be learning something new about him with each interaction that brings them closer. She tries to read his expression, easily seeing how nervous he looks as he slowly reaches out his own hands. There was only one response. Lianna obliges, gingerly reaching her own fingers forward so that they touch Mark's. In a second, he's curled his fingers around hers lacing them together. She watches her hands, gazes with interest at her own hands slotted between his. 

"So Mark?" Lianna's eyes rip away from their hands towards the other. 

"You do have," Mark whispers quietly, "really small hands. But..."

"But?" Lianna asks, in the same hushed tone that Mark uses, squeezing his hands with hers.

"They're nice hands," Mark continues.

Lianna assumes this is his way of complimenting them. She wants to use this moment to thank him for trying but also to flatter him back. But she's also a bit greedy and she drawls out the silence just so she could keep on holding his hands.

That's exactly the moment Leticya decides to swing the door open and the two of them scatter at the speed of lightning. Pretending that nothing had happened just a few seconds earlier.

* * *

"I uh. Bad timing I know but I uh have to go now," Mark takes the moment of silence to announce. He adjusts his posture and grabs the backpack that loiters on the ground. He swings it around his shoulder and glances over at Leticya then at Lianna then back at Leticya with an apologetic smile. "I just realized I can't stay for dinner. I have something I have to go to sorry. I feely really bad. Cause you just came back Leticya...I'll make it up to you. Tomorrow. I promise! See you two?"

Mark steers his way around Leticya - who still hovers around the doorway. There's shuffling noises coming from the entranceway as his fingers reach down to adjust his shoes. Leticya takes that short time to glide her way over to the couch, settling herself close down beside Lianna. Neither of them speaks quite yet, looking over at the entranceway where Mark is finished tying his shoes. He smiles at both of them, giving them a friendly wave which is returned. Then he's gone and Leticya's pupils which had been staring at the door snap over to her roommate. 

"So. Did something happen? Something definitely happened."

"I told you it was nothing. Anyways. You said," Lianna immediately directs the conversation away. Her arms loop around Leticya's right arm to pull the other girl closer and she's met with limited resistances. "You had something important to tell me?"

"Oh yes. Right," Leticya's attention turns back to her original reason for barging into her own apartment so loudly. She reaches over with her other hand to pat her friend on the arm. Then she takes a deep breath, knowing that what she was about to spill would take a long while for the both of them. She also knows that Lianna would be here for the entire trip, already preparing herself mentally for how long it'll take her friend to say everything that needs to be said.

"So...today. I was studying on campus. I was at the usual coffee shop, the one were you sometimes come to meet me. And I bumped into Woohyun," Leticya begins. It's not hard to notice how Lianna visibly perks up, even more, curious where the conversation is now heading with the unexpected encounter. "He was grabbing a coffee. But he was also dog sitting. So he asked me if I wanted to go walk the dog with him."

"And of course you said yes right?" Lianna inquires, voice sounding extremely enthusiastic.

"Of course! I had to take the chance! And it was so nice Anna. So unbelievably nice. We talked a lot like we were close friends. We talked about our day. We talked about things that happened when we were young. The weather was perfect! Everything was perfect. It was just. So nice," Leticya sighs dreamily. But she knows that Lianna can tell from how crestfallen her emotions appear the next second that it wasn't all the sunshine and brightness she so claims to be. "He said. Or he asked if it's okay for us to hang out outside of tutor sessions. Like he basically asked me to be his friend. Or I mean he said he sees me as a friend so we should hang out."

"That's great! That's great isn't it?" The confusion is apparent in Lianna's voice. For a good reason she knows because, from any objective viewpoint, it's clear that this was a good progression.

"Yea I mean it's nice that he sees me as a friend. That I can talk to him outside of our meetings. He said we could meet up again for more dog walks, he's literally giving me an excuse to hang out. I'm really happy about this! I know I should be happy about this. And I know I shouldn't overthink it but..." Leticya sighs. "I'm a bit disappointed Anna. That he literally said I see you as a friend."

"What else do you want him to s-" Lianna pauses. She can see how the expression on her roommate's features ripples from confusion into realization. The sofa dips beneath them as Lianna leans over to rest her head on Leticya's shoulder. A sign of comfort. "I mean if I was him I wouldn't state my interest so evidently. For all, we know you could have been uncomfortable with him even asking to be friends right? So he was just treading carefully."

"That's true," it's reluctant agreement on Leticya's end. Patience is one thing she does have, but it's a selective one that her emotions don't seem to cooperate with. Not with how her heart flutters, how her breath hitches even when she tells them not to. "I guess this is where I say you were right Anna. Remember when we first started joking about me falling for him? I think I really might have."

It's something that has naturally happened. It's something she shouldn't worry about when she's just had the most blissful of an experience. But it bothers her terribly, gnawing at her insides. Like she said maybe she's overthinking. She could be yet even if she knows that there is no way she could quench the feeling. Cause the waterfall to dry up into a simple trickle. She doesn't want to like a tutor, who is probably only acting like this out of kindness and friendliness. He probably sees her as a little sibling and she is simply playing herself out as a fool. 

"There's nothing wrong with that," Lianna is quick to assure, reading between the lines of Leticya's words. "There is nothing wrong with your feelings. They're valid so don't feel bad about them. They exist for a reason. You know whatever you decide I'm here to support you. Okay?"

"I know that. I'm so thankful to have you around Lianna," Leticya adjusts herself, causing Lianna to lift her head from her shoulders. She looks over at her friend and then spreads her arms wide, a hug which Lianna easily gives her. "We'll see how it goes right? I should be positive for now! Nothing will happen if I end things before it starts."

"Exactly," Lianna grins in response. "I have your back."


	9. Chapter 9

"Tomorrow, Seollal will go back home to his owner," Woohyun tells Leticya. She glances to her right where he comes to settle himself down on the soft ground beside her, having come back from a quick trip to a nearby coffee shop. The two of them watch the puppy frolic in the viridian grass below with another dog. There's a sadness in his tone, one that tells her of an evident fondness for the pooch that now glances up at them, tail wagging happily. She's only seen Seollal a couple of times but the sentiment is easily echoed with how loveable the canine is. Leticya can't even begin to imagine how amplified his emotions must be in comparison to her's.

"So it'll be the last time I'll see him," the corner of her lips downturn at the thought. "I'll miss him a lot. He's so cute and such a good boy."

"I don't speak dog but if I could take a guess, I think he'll miss you a lot too," Woohyun responds. He gives a small chuckle. "Seollal is is so used to meeting up with you at Starbucks that he tugs at the leash when we don't head in that direction."

"You think he sees me as one of his owners?" Leticya tries not to sound hopeful in her inquiry, playing it off as a joke with how her expression turns mischievous instead of sad.

"Definitely," he states like it's obvious, responding honestly and quickly. Though Leticya makes a motion that indicates she doesn't believe him and gently pushes his arm, she feels a swell of pride within her.

* * *

In the beginning, she had kept count of every single walk. A number that served as a reminder for every solo outing she had with Woohyun. She'd also talk about every single outing in detail with Lianna when she went home while the other would stroke her hair and comment at the right time. 

At least when the other was home. For some reason, the other was sometimes at Mark's place which Lianna never seemed to be at before. But that's something she'll investigate another time.

Then the stories started feeling like they were becoming repetitive. Then Leticya could come home late and Lianna wouldn't even need to lookup. She'd just simply welcome Leticya back. Somewhere along the way, the walk had integrated itself perfectly into their regime. 

It wasn't because the conversations with Woohyun were starting to repeat. Some things did repeat, like him asking her about her class and her asking him about his day. But their conversations would then always divulge into so many different topics. That was part of the reason why Leticya delighted herself in talking with the male. She could never guess where their conversation will head each day. Or even in the next few minutes. But some of the things were things she didn't feel like she could divulge to Lianna. Things that were too personal and meant for her own ears.

It also made her feel fuzzy inside to know that Woohyun trusted her with things. It's another reason why she's even more careful to keep his words closely guarded in her mind. At this point, after a few conversations with Lianna, she's come to terms that her feelings for her tutor were a bit more than platonic. Not quite romantic but it's definitely skewering itself towards that direction. But she also thinks she does a great job at concealing it from him, concentrating on preserving the friendship. Taking what she has because every minute is that significant.

* * *

Seollal pulls her out of her thought when he dashes up the hill. He all but leaps at her, head nudging into her arms demanding for affection. She grants his wish, rubbing him aggressively with her hands. Woohyun laughs lightly beside her. "See? My point."

"Point taken," she says her own laughter a few pitch higher merging with his. She cups the canine by his face and looks into his eyes, speaking softly. "I'll miss you Seollal. But don't worry! I'm sure I'll see you again. That's what Woohyun promised after all."

"You will," Woohyun assures, leaning forward so that he can pat Seollal on his flank. "Even if I'm not actually taking care of Seollal, I'll find us an excuse to go visit my friend."

The words settle oddly into the pool of her stomach. Staying in the same spot, she shifts her position to dispel the sensation. But the words keep floating in her mind. There's the implication that he's willing to invite her to meet his friend. That he's willing to take her another step outside of their comfort zone together. She wants to ask him many questions at this point, but she settles for keeping it simple. "Really?"

"For you, I'll do my best."

There it is again. Woohyun's kind words that make her feel special even though she's aware he'd say that to anybody without a moment of hesitation. Leticya plays along with him so that she can convince herself it's nothing serious. "Aww, that's so sweet. I feel so special."

"I was thinking," just like this, he's done this many times when she jokes like this, Woohyun switches the subject and Leticya's heart stops beating way too fast for normal. She doesn't know if she prefers this or if she wishes for him to egg her on. She'll probably never know since he's only providing her with one response. "Or rather, I just want to say. Even if Seollal is gone if you still want to go for coffee or something I wouldn't refuse. Unless I was busy."

Her hands pause for a few seconds before they resume stroking soft fur again and Leticya hopes he doesn't notice. Seollal does, she thinks the puppy is looking over at her with a sense of suspicion. But she's not hiding it from Seollal, she's hiding it from Woohyun. Maybe she should wash it off as a joke as she does with everything else but that didn't feel appropriate. 

"I would love that," Leticya manages to say after a few seconds, voice softer than earlier.

"Oh good," from the corner of her eyes she notices how he sighs in relief. "Not that I believed you were only hanging with me for Seollal, but that was the first reason we started hanging out... so I was worried you might think I only wanted to be with you if he was involved. But it's not. I just want to make it clear."

"Well," Leticya takes a second, biting her bottom lips wondering if the moment of confidence would be worth it. After a few more seconds, she decides she might as well risk it. "If that's the case we should plan for something for the weekend."

"This weekend?" She turns away from Seollal to look over at Woohyun. He looks thoughtful, considering the prospect and Leticya holds herself back from breaking into a smile. "Do you want to do brunch? I know a good place we can go to. If you'd like."

"Brunch? That sounds yummy," the smile cracks through the surface of her features anyways. She's beaming, the corner of her lips tugged so far upwards it's almost painful. "I'd love that!"

"We can plan out the rest of the details the upcoming few days then. For now, we have a dog we have to take back home."

"Okay!"

* * *

"You're positively glowing. I thought today was the last day you get to see Seollal. Is his stay with Woohyun being extended?" The naive question from Lianna brings loud laughter from Leticya, bewildering her roommate.

"Oh my dear Lianna, I have so many things to tell you," she spins her way over, entangling her arm around the other's and tugging her over to the couch so that the two of them could sit down. "But the most important thing here is...Woohyun and I are going to be hanging out this weekend. Just us two!"

"What! Isn't that like a date?" Lianna inquires, eyes wide in surprise. Her free hand snakes over to shake her friend's arms aggressively. 

"He didn't call it that but...can I pretend it is?"

"Of course! I'd do that. It's just the two of you going somewhere! Now tell me how did this happen?"

"Well..."

  
  



	10. Chapter 10

_ lianna I know you still have a while before class ends  
_ _ but I wanted to try something and  
_ _ I can't find the frying pan  
_ _ wait  
_ _ do I even own a frying pan?  
_ __ help?

Lianna catches her home screen lighting up from the corner of her eyes. At first, she ignores it, never someone who responds right away since work still took precedence. Her fingers busily tap away on her keyboard as she focuses on the task at hand. But the singular word catches her attention. Ochre hues quickly rip themselves from the computer screen while fingers slide forward to unlock her phone. 

Now she wasn’t expecting an actual emergency. As puerile as Mark could be during certain moments, he still knew what he was doing at the end of the day. But the visual image of him being confused in his own kitchen all due to a frying pan is still silly enough that she can’t help the involuntary tug of the corner of her lips. The perks of sitting in a corner though were that nobody would notice her brief sway from professionalism. 

_ sorry I can’t quite remember it myself _ _   
_ _ but you do have one _ _   
_ __ I used it the other day remember?

_ right to make eggs _ _   
_ _ it’s ok I’ll just starve _ _   
_ _ till you get here _ _   
_ __ don’t worry about it 

The reply from Mark is instantaneous. It’s been this way for a while. As long as he isn't in class, he's a few seconds away from responding to her. Lianna hadn’t noticed the change at first. Not until Leticya had pointed out one day that she always received messages before the other girl even though Leticya would send things out first. But Lianna doesn’t want to think too far into all of this, choosing to focus on the topic at hand. At the possibility of him actually waiting three more hours while his stomach grumbles away. Which is a Mark thing to do.

_ just starve…you better eat something mark _ _   
_ _ even if it’s just crackers _

_ yea got you _ _   
_ _ see you soon _

She's unsure what he's trying to say. Lianna will just have to find out when she returns home. In the meanwhile, her attention diverts back to her computer where the last of her work still remains.

* * *

Lianna comes back to the apartment building to be greeted with Mark's locked door. It's strange, given he usually unlocks it when he knows it's around time for her to arrive. She frowns, her small right hand rapping against the door.

"One second!" A muffled but familiar voice calls out. There's a loud clanging noise from inside that causes her to wince. A second later the door opens and there's Mark, black hair tousled looking flustered but at the same time trying really hard to hide it. Except she sees through his act in seconds.

"Hey," it seems right at that second, he realizes how dishevelled he must look and hands run through his hair like a makeshift comb. Mark's still smiling, feigning nonchalance. The pursed-lip response she offers him insinuates she knows otherwise. "Sorry I got distracted and forgot."

"No it's fine, don't worry about it." Taking a few steps inside, Lianna tries to squint behind him to see if she could decipher the source of the noise. However, it's not eyes which decipher the situation. It's her sensitive nose. "What did you burn..."

"Uh..." Now his hand has moved from his head down to scratch at the nape of his neck nervously. Crossing her arms around her chest, Lianna debates letting Mark take her over like a defeated puppy caught in a mischievous act or walking into the kitchen herself. Thinking the latter as the better option, she takes her first step to go around him. He stops her, a quick hand reaching over to tug at her jacket sleeve. She turns around to look at him.

"I was craving grilled cheese. So I tried to make it. But I forgot to butter the bread and it kind of got stuck on the pan. I was trying to scrape it off. But I forgot to turn off the heat first. So everything burnt and won't unstick from the frying pan. You caught me in the middle of washing it. I tried scraping and it's not coming off so now I'm lost about what I should do and," words shoot out at rapid speed to make up for how fast his thoughts run. Mark only pauses because he's running out of breath. Something she's noticed about Mark is that he rapidly talks when he's flustered or apprehensive. Sometimes Mark even stutters while his mind tries to play catchup. In the beginning, Lianna had assumed it was best to leave him be. Let Mark continue talking until he ran out of steam. 

But now it's different because they're closer to each other. While Mark is catching his breath, Lianna slides her fingers forward. Small and nimble they curl around his. It's awkward at first. It's always awkward at first. Yet it works because Mark focuses on adjusting his own hand to slot with hers. Lianna offers a small smile when he's done. She then gently squeezes the hand in her grasp.

"We'll be okay. I know the solution to that. Let's clean up your pan with some baking soda and it'll be back to normal in no time. Then...depending on the time we can order some small takeout so your stomach can stop growling. Or we can just head over to my place since it'll be almost dinner time and Leticya always makes the best meals for hungry stomachs. Right?" Lianna enunciates her words carefully, giving Mark's hands another squeeze for solace. 

He doesn't take long to think - if he ponders about it at all. Mark nods. The way his hands finally slack against his side is enough of an implication that he's allowing her to take lead. 

Mark trusts her without a shard of doubt.

In words that should bring a trace of thrill dancing up her spine, to have someone so pliable that she could easily goad. But Lianna takes this epiphany and gently cradles against the hearth that burns away within her chest. She lets it feed the flames, looking on at it, looking on at Mark with much tenderness.

Whether he notices it or not when their eyes meet, she does not know. However, she does know that he smiles ever so graciously and she, in turn, takes that moment to pull him along into his kitchen.

Even burnt bits of food, now all black in their carbon remnant like ugly barnacles against a ship haul, wouldn't cause her to leave her good mood. Nor would the acrid smell that fills the kitchen even with the fan running. Not now.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
